Insulated switch-rod.



Wizessesz j INSULATED SWITCH ROD.

' APPLICATION FILED MAR- 2. 1.915,

' Patnted July 18, 1916:

ZSHEETS-SHEET l.

F. BpBRADLEY, I INSULATED SWITCH ROD. APPLICATION FILED MAR-2.1915.

I PatentedJulylS, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIIIII UIIUII I a) III E II III II I: a 5 Q a bar or base plate B, whichis secured to said bar in the manner hereinafter to be de' scribed.Formed upon or rigid with the bar B is an upwardly extending stud 18,which) is adapted to project through a relatively larger circularopening or aperture 19 formed in the horizontally extending base member20 of the grip A. The intermediate space between the stud 18 and thewalls of the aperture 19 is adapted to be occupied by part of theadjustment member C. The upwardlv projecting stud 18 has a non-circularperiphery, which is here shown as corrugated or fluted, and thedownwardly extending circular part 21 of the adjustment member isprovided with a socket 22, which is of the same size and form as theupwardly extending stud, the outer walls of said socket being corrugatedinthe same -manner as said stud.- The circular part 21 of the adjustmentmember is adapted to fit the circular aperture 19 in the grip A, and

the adjustment member C is further provided with a downwardly projectingflange 23', between which and the circular part there is an annularchannel 24, designed to fit over an upwardly projecting lip 25, whichsurrounds the opening 19 in the grip. The socket 22' is eccentricallylocated with respect to the periphery of the circular part 21 of theadjustment member, and said member is provided with a bolt hole -26,which is centrally located with respect to said socket, A continuation27 of this bolt hole bolt hole 28 in the reach bar.

extends centrally through the stud 18 and through the plate B inalinement with a A bolt 29,

- passed through these bolt holes and its upper threaded extremity,engages a nut 30,v

which seats upon the adjustment member C and is retained in adjustedposition by a pin 31. The grip A has a projecting lug 33 which normallyunderlies a hook projection 34 on the plate B, thereby normallypreventing substantial vertical displacement of the 'grip and reach barwhen the nut is withdrawn. It will be seen that forces are transmittedbetween the grip and reach bar through'the adjustment member and stud18, thus relieving stress upon the bolt.

In assemblage the grip A, to which the switch point is attached, isplaced in position with the opening 19 therein surrounding the stud 18,and the adjustment member C is then placed in position, as shownparticularly in Fig.- 4, with its projection 21 fitting within theopening 19, and its socket 22 fitting around the stud 18. By reason ofthe eccentric location of the socket with respect to the outer circularperiphery of the part 21, an adjustment of the position of the switchpoint rail relatively to the'body ofthe switch rod, and relatively tothe fixed rail, can be obtained by changing the memher 0 to difierentangular positions, eight of illustrated. Eight adjustments are possibleby reason of the fact that the corrugations on the stud 18 are notsymmetrically disposed with reference to the axis 3232 of the switchrod,as shown particularlyin Fig. 5, and likewise the corrugations around thewalls of the socket 22 of the adjustment member C are not symmetricallyarranged with reference to a linejoining the center of the projection 21with the center of the socket.

Thebase plate seats upon a sheet 35 of insulating fiber, or otherinsulating material, which serves to insulate said plate from the reachbar 15, and said plate is secured to the reach bar'by means of rivets36, which pass through the apertures in the base plate and throughcontinuations 37, of

these apertures which are formed in the '38 and, preferably, extendupwardly through the apertures 37 in the sheet of insulating fiber. Thebushings also extend downwardly through the washers 40, of insulatingmaterial, which surround the rivets-below the reach bar, andwhichserve-to insulate the metallic washers 41 from the reach bar. Thesemetallic washers seat upon the upset heads 36 of the washers 36,'and itwill be apparent that by means of the construction just described therivets are effectively insulated from the reach bar. The sheet ofinsulating fiber 35 is also provided with an aperture 42 in alinementwith the bolt holes 27 and 28 in the plate B and reach bar,respectively, and the bolt 29is insulated from the reach bar by meansofa bushing 43 of insulating material which surrounds said bolt withinthe bolt hole 28. This bushing extends downwardly through a washer 44,of insulating material, which serves to insulate the metallic washer 45from the reach bar. This metallic washer seats upon the head 29 of thebolt 29, and thus it will be apparent that allof the partsof the baseplate and the elements carried thereby, as well as the connectionsbetweenthose parts sulated from the reach ban The reach bar of theswitch rod is offset downwardly at 15 and extends outwardly beneath thefixed traflic rail to form a connection with the switch-operatingmechanism, as above described. In order to insulate the switch rod fromthe fixed tra-fiic rail,

1 provide a sheet of insulatingfiber, or

and the reach bar, are all effectively inis seated a metallic wearingplate 51, the upper surface of. which is countersunk at 52 to receivethe heads of the rivets 53, f by means of which saidwearing plate andsheet ofinsulating fiber are secured to the switch same time the sheetof insulating fiber '50, will prevent the formation ofan electriccircuit between the adjacent fixed rail, through the switch rod,.to thefixed rail or point rail at theother side of the track. I

' Thebase plate B and the adjustable con-' nections, by means of whichthe switch rod is secured to. the point rail 12 at the other side of thetrack, are the same as those above described; and it will therefore beunderstood that either of the point rails 12 and 13 may be adjustedrelatively to the switch rod and .to the adjacent fixed rails. I prefer,however, to connect one of the members B-by means of which theconnection is formed between the switch rod and point rail-directly tothe reach bar without the use of insulatingmeans, inasmuch as theinsulating means employed to insulate the other switch point rail fromthe switch rod will serve to prevent the formation of an electriccircuit through the switch rod from the last mentioned point rail toeither the point rail or the fixed rail at the other side of the track.For a similar reason I prefer to employ only one of the wearing plates51, and insulating sheets 50, since the use of these elements at oneside of the track, as described, will prevent the formation of anelectric circuit between the adjacent fixed rail and either the point orfixed rails at the other side of the track. It will be understood,however, that the insulating elements may be used at both sides of thetrack, if desired. In Fig. 3 I have illustrated my invention as embodiedin a head'rod 60, such as is employed some distance from the point ofthe switch to connect the point rails for a parallelogram movement. Inthis instance, one of the base plates B is directly connected to theswitch rod 60, while the other base plate B is insulated therefrom inthe manner above described.

From the foregoing description, it will be evident that I have providedan integral I have provided, in combination therewith, effective meansfor breaking the electric circuit betweenthe rails, thereby simplifyingthe construction of the switch rod and in creasing the durability andefficiency thereofin operation. V f f While'I have shown and described apar,- ticular form of my invention, and have explained theoperationthereof in aparticu lar manner, it will be understood that Icon templatechanges in form and arrangement of parts, as circumstances maysu'ggestor, necessity render expedient, without departingj from the scope of'theinvention as defined in the appended claims.

1. In a device of the class described,'an integral reach bar extendingcontinuously between and beneath the .fixed rails of a railway traclgsaid reach bar havingan upper plane surface, and means seated on saidsurface and secured to said'reach bar for insulating the same from oneof said rails.

2. In a device of the class described, a switch rod extending beneath afixed rail of arailway track, said switch rod having an upper planesurface adjacent said rail, and means seated on said surface and securedto said switch rod forjinsulating the same from said rail. 7

. 3. In a device of the class described, a switch r'od extendingadjacent to a rail of a railway track, a plate seated on said rodadjacent said rail, a sheet of insulating material between said plateand said rod, means to secure said plate and said insulating material tosaid rod, and means to prevent an electric connection between said railand said rod through said securing means. 7 4. In a device of the classdescribed, a pair of continuous rails, a pair of point rails an integralreach bar secured to said point rails and extending beneathsaidcontinuous rails, means to insulate said reach bar from one of saidpoint rails, and independent means to insulate said reach bar from oneof said continuous rails.

5. In a. device of the class described, a switch rod extending adjacentto a rail of a railway track, means to, insulate said rod from saidrail, means to secure said insulating means to said rod, and means toinsulate said securing means from-said rod.

6. In a device of the class described, an integral reach bar extendingcontinuously between and beneath the fixed rails of a railway track, asheet of insulating material seated on said bar adjacent one of saidrails, a plate seated on said insulating material, means to secure saidinsulating material and said plate to said bar, and means to insulatesaid securing means from said bar.

7. In a device of the class described, a reach bar, a plate secured tosaid bar, means to insulate. said plate from said bar, and a switch,point clip connected to and adjustable relatively tosaid plate.

8. In a device of the class described, a fixed rail, a point rail, areach bar extending beneath said fixed rail, adjustable means forsecuring said point rail tosaid reach bar, means to insulate saidadjustable means from said vreach bar, and means independent of saidadjustable means to insulate said reach .bar from said fixed rail.

9. In a device of the class described, a

reach bar, a stud projecting from said bar, means to insulatesaid studfrom said bar, an adjustment member having an eccentric seat adapted toengage said stud, means for preventing rotation of said adjustmentmember, and a clip engaging said adjustment member.

10. In a device of the class described, a switch rod, a stud projectingfrom said rod, a clip secured to a point rail and operatively connectedto said stud, and means to prevent an electric connection between saidswitch rod and said rail through said stud and clip.

11. In a device of the class described, a switch rod, a stud projectingfrom said rod, a clip secured to a point rail and operatively connectedto said stud, and means to insulate said stud from said rod.

12. In a device of the class described, a reach bar having asubstantially plane upper surface, a plate seated on said surface, meansto insulate said plate from said bar,

and a switch point clip operatively connected to said plate.-

13. In a device of the class described, a switch rod, a clip adapted tobe secured to a rail, a stud projecting from said rod and operativelyconnected to said clip, whereby stresses are transmitted between saidrail and said rod through said stud, and means to insulate said studfrom said rod.

14. In a device of the class described, a switch rod, a grip adapted tobe secured to 'a rail, said grip and said rod carrying parts havingupwardly extending coacting surfaces through which horizontally actingforces are transmitted from said rail to said rod, means to insulatesaid rod from said rail, and a bolt' tohold said elements in assembledrelation.

15. In a device of the class described, a railway rail, a switch rodhaving a substantially plane upper surface, a plate seated on saidsurface and secured to said rod, a clip connected to said'rail andoperatively connected to said plate, and means for preventing anelectric connection between said rail and said rod through said clip andsaid plate. I

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

FRANK B; BRADLEY.

Witnesses 1 HENRY A..PARKs, HELEN D. FREUND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. a

